Drink-dispensing device



7 March 21, 1967 P. MCCANN 3,310,203

DRINK-DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Oct. 20, 1964 4! INVENTOR M 30 g 668410 Mac/Mm,

BY M United States Patent 3,310,203 DRmK-DISPENSING DEVICE Gerald Patrick McCann, La Canada, Calit., assignor to McCanns Engineering & Mfg. Co., Glendale, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Oct. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 405,145 Claims. (Cl. 22254) This invention relates to a drink-dispensing device.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device wherein a suitable syrup and carbonated water may be mixed and discharged.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device which will compensate for viscosity changes in the syrup caused by temperature changes therein.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a device which is unaffected by pressure changes within the system.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a device wherein all parts which are subject to attack by the fluids used are shielded therefrom.

Other objects and advantages will be readily apparent from the following description.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic of the carbonation and mixing system.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation with part broken away of the converter.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the converter.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the converter partially in section taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 5 is a view taken along line 55 of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a view taken along line 6-6 of FIG- URE 3.

FIGURE 7 is a view taken along line 7-7 of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the outlet and bimetal valve.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, water is supplied to tank 10 through inlet 12 and at a pressure controlled by regulator 18 supplied to the pump 14. The water is moved by the pump 14 to the carbonator tank 16. Carbon dioxide is stored under pressure in container 20 and directed to the carbonator tank 16 through line 22, T-joint 24 and one-way check valve 26. Should the supply of gas become exhausted, a float valve 28, an integral part of valve 26, shuts off water flow to the syrup tank 36'.

The carbonated water is discharged through line 30 to the converter 32. Other branch lines 34 may lead to similar converters.

Syrup is stored in tank 36 which is connected through line 38 to the syrup inlet to converter 32. The carbon dioxide pressure is utilized to move syrup to the converter through line 40, manifold 42 and line 44. The remaining branches 46 from manifold 42 service other converters. In this fashion carbonated water and beverage syrup are conducted at the same pressure to the converter 32.

Referring now to the remaining figures, the converter is formed of a block 48 preferably of a transparent material inert with respect to the fluid utilized, such as, for example, acrylic.

The block is recessed at both the syrup inlet and carbonated water inlets to receive oneway check valves such as illustrated in FIGURE 6. Since the valves are identical, only one will be described in detail. The bonnet 50 has a threaded extremity 52 to receive the end of a tube. The body 54 screws into bonnet 50 and carries a spring 56 in an axial passage therethrough. The spring urges ball 58 to seat on O-ring 60 held by retainer 62. Thus flow can occur only into the converter. The remaining extremity of body 54 carries a washer 64 held by split ring 3,310,203- Patented Mar. 21, 1967 66. Screws 67 fit into suitable threaded recesses in block 48, the heads of which overlap washer 64 retaining the one-way valves in position.

A valve member 68 fits into a cylindrical bore 70 in block 48 and is secured therein by screws 69 which screw into block 48 and overlie flange 71. Adjacent the syrup inlet the valve member is supplied with a small ori-fice 72 which conducts a small amount of syrup to an internal chamber 74. A syrup outlet 76 is positioned at the end of chamber 74 remote from orifice 7-2.

A bi-metallic blade 78 is secured at one end by a screw 80 and the free end is positioned above outlet 76. The upper half of the blade is of a material having a greater rate of expansion in response to increased temperature than the lower half of the blade. One composition of blade 78 which has proved satisfactory contemplates the high-expansion side !be approximately 29% nickel, 3%

chrome and the remainder iron, while the lower expansion side is 36% nickel and the remainder iron. The Whole blade is coated with, for example, Teflon to be unaffected by the syrup utilized. A stop 79 is adjusted to limit movement of blade 78 toward the outlet 76. As the temperature of the syrup changes, the position of the blade with respect to the outlet changes to maintain a consistent amount of flow through the outlet. 7

Assuming the dispenser had not been used for a considerable period, the temperature and hence viscosity of the syrup in the block would be different from that in the refrigerated syrup tank 36. When the dispensing faucet is opened and flow commences, new syrup flows into the block. Because of the design of the cavity in which the bimetal valve is mounted, a relatively small quantity of syrup produces a reaction in the extremely sensitive blade. A colder temperature will cause the blade to move away from the outlet, permitting a greater amount of more viscous fluid to pass through the outlet. The valve member 68 has an annulus 81 on its periphery in contact with outlet 76 receiving syrup therefrom and directing it to a fixed diameter outlet 82. At temperatures above 40 F. with the birnetal blade heretofore described, the position or relationship of blade 78 to orifice 76 controls the amount of syrup discharged and at temperatures below 40 F. the fixed diameter of outlet 72 controls same.

The carbonated water enters block 48 through bore 84 surrounding outlet 82 and hence upwardly through the mixture discharge outlet 86 drawing syrup therethrough. The rate of flow of carbonated water is controlled by needle valve 88 which projects into bore 84. Normal setting would provide about five parts of carbonated water to one part syrup.

While what hereinbefore has been described as the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is readily apparent that modifications and alterations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A drink-dispensing device comprising a body having a syrup inlet, a carbonated Water inlet and a mixture outlet, means forming a chamber between said inlets, a bimetal blade supported in said chamber, one-half having a greater rate of expansion in response to increased temperature of syrup than the other half, a syrup outlet from said chamber flow through which is controlled by the position of said blade, and means forming a bore within said carbonated water inlet, said bore communicating with said syrup outlet whereby flow from said carbonated water inlet to said mixture outlet draws syrup through said bore.

2. A drink-dispensing device comprising a body having a syrup inlet, a carbonated water inlet and a mixture outlet, means forming a chamber between said inlets, a bi-metal blade supported in said chamber, one-half having a greater rate of expansion in response to increased temperature of syrup than the other half, a syrup outlet from said chamber flow through which is controlled by the position of said blade, and means forming a bore within said carbonated water inlet, said bore communicating with said syrup outlet whereby flow from said carbonated water inlet to said mixture outlet draws syrup through said bore, said bore being at approximately right angles to the path of flow through said carbonated Water inlet.

3. A drink-dispensing device comprising a body having a syrup inlet, a carbonated water inlet and a mixture outlet, means forming a chamber between said inlets, a bimetal blade supported in said chamber, one-half having a greater rate of expansion in response to increased temperature of syrup than the other half, a syrup outlet from said chamber fiow through which is controlled by the position of said blade, and means forming a bore within said carbonated water inlet, said bore communicating with said syrup outlet whereby flow from said carbonated water inlet to said mixture outlet draws syrup through said bore, and adjustable means in said carbonated water inlet to permit varying of flow therethrough.

4. A drink-dispensing device comprising a body having a syrup inlet, a carbonated water inlet and a mixture outlet, means forming a chamber between said inlets, a bimetal blade supported in said chamber, one-half having a greater rate of expansion in response to increased temperature of syrup than the other half, a syrup outlet from said chamber flow through which is controlled by the position of said blade, said canbonated water inlet coupled adjacent said syrup outlet whereby fiow through said carbonated Water inlet augments flow through said syrup outlet mixing said substances flowing to said mixture outlet, and means supplying syrup and carbonated Water to their respective inlets at the same pressure.

5. A drink-dispensing device comprising a body having a syrup inlet, a carbonated water inlet and a mixture outlet, means forming a chamber between said inlets, a bimetal blade supported in said chamber, one-half having a greater rate of expansion in response to increased temperature of syrup than the other half, a syrup outlet from said chamber flow through which is controlled by the position of said blade, said carbonated water inlet coupled adjacent said syrup outlet whereby flow through said carbonated water inlet augments flow through said syrup outlet mixing said substances flowing to said mixture outlet, said blade being coated with a material inert with respect to syrup and carbonated water.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,934,499 11/1933 Hall 236-12 2,462,019 2/ 1949 Bowman 222--1 2,792,178 5/1957 Littleton 23612 2,808,211 10/ 1957 Perkins 236-12 2,823,833 2/1958 Bauerlein 222129.2 2,830,621 4/1958 Prescott 23693 X 2,886,245 5/ 1959 Giesler 23612 2,982,475 5/1961 Dahl 236-345 X 3,032,058 5/1962 Weese 137468 3,044,707 7/1962 Bayer 137606- X 3,167,090 1/1965 Booth et a1. 13760'4 RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DRINK-DISPENSING DEVICE COMPRISING A BODY HAVING A SYRUP INLET, A CARBONATED WATER INLET AND A MIXTURE OUTLET, MEANS FORMING A CHAMBER BETWEEN SAID INLETS, A BIMETAL BLADE SUPPORTED IN SAID CHAMBER, ONE-HALF HAVING A GREATER RATE OF EXPANSION IN RESPONSE TO INCREASED TEMPERATURE OF SYRUP THAN THE OTHER HALF, A SYRUP OUTLET FROM SAID CHAMBER FLOW THROUGH WHICH IS CONTROLLED BY THE POSITION OF SAID BLADE, AND MEANS FORMING A BORE WITHIN SAID CARBONATED WATER INLET, SAID BORE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SYRUP OUTLET WHEREBY FLOW FROM SAID CARBONATED WATER INLET TO SAID MIXTURE OUTLET DRAWS SYRUP THROUGH SAID BORE. 